FAA History Lesson -- May 13

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”May 13, 1946: President Truman signed the Federal Airport Act establishing the Federal-aid airport program (FAAP), the first peacetime program of financial aid aimed exclusively at promoting development of the nation's civil airports. Sen. Pat McCarran (D-Nev.) and Rep. Clarence F. Lea (D-Calif.) had introduced the legislation. The Act authorized appropriations of $500 million for the contiguous United States and $20 million for Alaska and Hawaii over a period of seven years, beginning Jul 1, 1946. Federal allotments were to be matched by local funds. For fiscal year 1947, Congress appropriated $45 million for construction and nearly $3 million for preliminary planning and surveys. (See Appednix VIII and Oct 8, 1946.)”

Over 60 years later, I have to wonder just how far our leaders could see into the future back then. Was the path clear to them ? Or was it just as foggy back then as it seems today -- but they acted anyway ?

The Las Vegas airport is named for Senator McCarran. I wonder what Las Vegas would be like without an airport ?

Don Brown
May 13, 2008